The University of Texas at Austin Top Questions

students are very casual to class. I would say we are more casual than most colleges, especially because the weather is usually either very hot or apt to change so why not be comfortable? that is the mentality. plus, the average student probably walks for at least an hour a day going to and from classes on campus.this should be done in comfort, especially in hot weather.

i have noticed that for the most part people stick within their own communities. jews, asians, lgbt, wasps etc. for example, i am in a jewish sorority and all my friends are jewish. my indian friend from high school is in an indian sorority and all her friends are indian.

there are ton of different peolpe on campus and therefore a ton of different opinions and groups. i havent had any negative experiences with anything related to race or religion. no one would feel out of place at UT. There is a big variety of what people wear but the stereotype i would say is jeans and a tshirt. yes different types of students interact. most UT students are from dallas and houston but i know a ton of peolpe from all over the country.

Occasionally a little segregated, particularly some of the Greek community; but if you branch out there's no reason you shouldn't have friends of every color, creed, and background. Very Texas-centric, I get psyched when I meet another out of stater.

There is literally no way that someone could not find a group to identify with in this massive student body. You can wear whatever you want to class, mostly t shirt, shorts and sandals (awesome weather btw).

The student body is SO diverse. I find that most people are tolerant, and if they are not, they at least keep their opinions to themselves. I have never experienced anything negative as far as groups on campus. What kind of student would feel out of place at UT?- I don't think any student would feel out of place here. There literally is an organization for EVERYONE. I don't know exactly how many organizations we have but trust me, it's a lot. And starting an organization is SO easy. Not sure about that exact process either, but trust me, I have friends who have done it- no sweat. What do most students wear to class?- VERY few students 'dress up' for class. I would say the majority of students wear shorts and t-shirts and flip-flops or tennis shoes. Including the girls! Workout clothes to class, even if you're not going to go work out. There are those people who roll out of bed in their PJ pants and go straight to class without changing which is also seen as perfectly acceptable! Are students politically aware/active?- YES. It's election time right now, we just had a Clinton/Obama debate on campus...I always knew this campus was politically charged, but I feel like it is at an all time high right now. The good thing is that it's not geared toward any one political party - all political interests are represented in some way!

The student population is extremely diverse at Texas because it is such a big school. I am a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. It sometimes seems like Greek Life makes up a big portion of students, but it only accounts for about 10 percent of the population. Within Greek Life I have experienced prejudice. Some people, mostly boys, are not as open minded and accepting of others as they should be. This semester, I was riding home from downtown with a couple of fraternity boys and my roommate. During the car ride, one of the boys continuously made fun of Jewish people. Being Jewish, I was obviously offended and upset the whole ride. Upon arriving home, my roommate came to my defense, and proceeded to hit the boy and yell at him for hurting me so badly. I will always remember and appreciate how she stuck up for me that night. Although this is just one example of prejudice, I have heard other instances of it within Greek Life. I would think that at a school as diverse as UT, this would be less of a problem. Granted, there are always going to be those people. The Texas population as a whole, is very accepting of diversity and appreciates people's differences. The overall student population is extremely laid back. This proabably has something to do with the city of Austin being laid back. Students usually don't dress up for class. This is very refreshing for me coming from Memorial High School in Houston where everyday was like a fashion show. Students like to relax at Barton Springs or take a 30 minute drive to Lake Travis. One of my favorite things to do to wind down is run at Town Lake. It is so relaxing to gaze out on the beautiful lake while on a run. Students here work hard, but know how to lay back and enjoy the city. The student population is very politically diverse as well. You have your hard core conservatives, your extreme liberals, and then those in the middle, moderate students. Students are getting in to the election this year, especially because the democratic debate is coming to UT this month!